Showing posts with label retsept. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retsept. Show all posts

Saturday, March 25, 2017

kiire ja lihtne pilaff krokkpotis


jupp  aega ei saa hakkama ühe postitusega poolaasta jooksul ja nüüd,vähe sellest, et postitab iga päev, kribab täna kogunisti 2 korda.

aga tegin täna krokkpotis pilaffi - väga lihtne ja väga maitsev! mitte, et ma nüüd krokkpotti reklaamiks, samamoodi saab ju ka praeahjus teha... aga ikkagi. ja no päris pilaff see muidugi pole, aga ligilähedane küll.

riis  pesta ja likku, nagu ikka, paariks tunniks.

siis mingil hetkel liha pannil kiirelt pruunistada. sobib põmst igasugune liha, aga kuna meite majas kaks kolmest siga ega kana ei söö, valmib reeglina ainult veis, põder v lammas. täna siis veis (rohumaaveis, kah nagu ikka). liha pannile panemisega samal ajal krokkpott sisse ja vesi kannuga keema.

kui liha mõlemalt küljelt pruunistunud, kallasin ca paar cm jagu keeva vett krokkpoti ja säriseva liha pannilt sinna sisse. (liha tundub pildil jube vähe olevat, tegelikult oli suur pannitäis)




seejärel samale pannile purgitäis tomati-porgandi-sibula-õuna hoidist (sobib põmst iga tomatipõhine hoidis, mis aga kellelegi maitseb. mulle endale maitseb enim Pille Kadaka retsepti järgi tuunitud nn mustsõstraketshup, aga see oli otsas). oleks muidugi kena riivida värske porgand ja hakkida sibul jne nagu pilafi puhul peaks .... aga valmishoidist on palju lihtsam ja kiirem kasutada. pealegi, milleks ma siis neid tegin :)

hoidis pannil (sealsamas, kus enne liha tegin, see gravy paistab sealt alt) kiirelt kuumaks,




veel  kuuma vett otsa (nii. et pann saaks täis) ja lihale takkajärgi potti.



siis riisi pealt leotusvesi ära ja kannust keev vesi riisile peale, kiirelt segada ja vesi ära kallata. põmst pole seda vaja, aga riisi soojendamine sel viisil lihtsalt kiirendab protsessi ega jahuta poti sisu maha.

riis vahukulbiga krokkpotti liha ja köögivilja peale...  mitte segada! jakontrollida, et vedelikku oleks piisavalt (mitu cm üle riisi) kaas peale ja ise kolmeks tunniks õue. vahepeal võib muidugi vedeliku olemasolu kontrollida, vahel kipub see liiga kiirelt otsa saama, kui on alguses liiga vähe pandud. ja no võib lisada rosinaid ja kuivatatud aprikoose, aga mul oli täna kiire.

no ja kolme tunni pärast tuppa ...




... ja söök lauale :)






 leidsin netist sellise retsepti ka. ja kuigi ka see ei ole tegelikult pilaff, tahan ma seda ka proovida, tundub maitsev!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3J33Ahyy_4

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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Aia- ja saialood


... nagu blogi päises kirjas. ehk köögilood. ehk, kuidas sool, sooda, pärm ja sinep aias kasulikud on


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmj0F6Qviyo




Monday, May 18, 2015

Roheline leotis vol 2

Veel natuke kokkuvõtvalt sellest rohelisest tõmmisest.

Olen nüüd seda enda erinevate allikate alusel kokkumiksitud versiooni paar nädalat katsetanud ja siiani väga rahul. Poolteist nädalat tagasi kastsin sellega maasikaid ja kui nad enne kastmist olid veidi longus ja uimased ja tuhmid (ei olnud kuiv), siis juba järgmisel päeval olid ennast tumesäravroheliseks ja püsti ringutanud. Vahe oli nii suur, et ma mõtsin, et oleks võinud pildistada. 

Tomatitele tundus ka meeldivat ja mõtsin, et kastan kõik järgnevad istutusaugud selle lahusega (võib-olla välja arvatud kapsalised, sest ega ma ei tea ju, kuidas nad hapukale lahusele reageerivad, tahavad nad ju pigem aluselisemat keskkonda).


Paar päeva tagasi vaatasin veel Boris Bubliku materjale ja sain kinnitust sellele ideele, et selle rohelise leotise puhul on olulised 2 aspekti:

  •  Lämmastik ja muud kasulikud elemendid
  •  Mikroorganismid e bakterid.



Esimese saab sellest silost (Bublik nimetabki oma leotist EM siloks – kuna need bakteripreparaadid on EM bakterid/preparaadid).
Teist saab silost mingil määral, kuid seda jääb seal sutsu väheks, seepärast nad enda leotisele alati ka baktereid juurde lisavad. Suhkur/moos/muumagusollus on bakteritele söögiks, et nad jõudsasti paljuneks.

Millest aga need EM bakteripreparaadid koosnevad? Nagu Bublikki väga selgelt väljendas, on seal põhiliselt:

  • Mullabakterid
  • Pärm (et kiirendada paljunemist)
  • Piimhappebakterid (et patogeenid pead ei tõstaks)


Ja ongi kogu lugu.


Seega see minu lahendus:
  • Roheline mass + 
  • Mullabakterid (labidas mulda, pool kõdukomposti-lehti)+
  • Kali (kääritatud!) +
  • Pett

vastab suurepäraselt kõigile neile kriteeriumitele.

Kaljast saab nii suhkru kui ka pärmiolluse ning petist piinhappebakterid. Keefir ilmselt sobiks ka, eks ma kindlasti vaheldan neid. 

Kui tünn on kasvuhoones, siis kastan sellega 2-4-ndal päeval, siis lisan uue vee ja kastan veelkord 2-3-ndal päeval ja siis juba uus laar käima. 

Väga lahe, kuidas see silomass läks sõna otseses mõttes hapnema – seda ta pidigi tegema, sest vajalikud olidki hapnemis/käärmisbakterid.

Sama lahusega saab kasta kompostikasti ja seda ma ka teen, sest osa asju panen endiselt kompostrisse, mitte peenrasse multshiks. Aga sellest juba üks teine kord :).

Kes peaks tahtma suuremat kogust puhast bakterileotist teha, siis kordan siin uuesti seda videot, mille paar postitust tagasi lisasin. Põmst on selles leotises: muld + lehekõdu + sõnnik + jõeliiv + pärm (see praaga) + piimhappebakterid (vadak v pett, mõlemate kohta võib sama väljendit kasutada)



Friday, August 2, 2013

pihlakamarjad

pihlakad on punased. vähemasti lõunaosariikides. natuke liiga vara... aga ka kured hõiguvad metsa taga juba mitu nädalat...


pihlakamarmelaad on mulle alati meeldinud. eriti niisama, kuid ka koos õuntega. eriti hea talvel tuisuse ilmaga tee sisse panna..

leidsin mõned retseptid, mida võiks katsetada:




This delicious recipe of a Rowan Berry marmelade comes from my greataunt Icke, who was happy having this tasty but cheap jam, when times where bad.

 

My mother kept this recipe and told me already in my childhood, that Rowan Berries are not as poisonous as other people believe. We ate a lot of aunt Ickes Rowan Berry marmelade when we where childs.

 

250 gr Rowan Berries

250 gr Apple, cut in pieces

Some Water

250 gr Sugar

 

Pick the Rowan Berries from the little stalks and wash them.

Peel and cut the apples.

Put both into a pot together with some water.

Heat the fruits until they boil.

Cook the fruits until the Rowan Berries are soft.

That can take about half an hour.

In the waiting time you can prepare the glasses.

Best is to clean them in the dish washer.

But if you don't have a dish washer you can wash the glasses in hot water and let them dry on a kitchen paper.

Hang a sieve into another pot.

Pour the boiled fruits into the sieve.

Rub the fruits through the sieve.

The stone and the peel of the Rowan Berries stay in the sieve.

In the pot you get the fruit pulp.

Like this you can produce fresh Rowan Berry pulp. Don't use apples in this case.

Put the sugar and some water in a clean pot.

Beware! When the sugar is caramelizing later, everything hast to happen very fast. So put the fruit pulp beside the sugar pot.

Heat the sugar an stir it.

After a while the sugar starts melting.

The water is steaming.

When the sugar start to boil or gets brown the busy moment has come.

The next step has to follow very soon!

Pour the fruit pulp into the boiling sugar and stir.

Let pulp and sugar cook for a few minutes.

You can make a gelatinize test on a cool surface like a plate.

Put a small amount of the boiling marmelade on the plate.

If it thickens fast the marmelade is ready.

Pour the marmelade into the glasses.

Remove marmelade traces from the edge of the glasses with a clean kitchen paper.

Close the glasses as long as they are still hot.

Label them with content and date as soon as the have cooled down.

 


 

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Kibuvitsa-pihlaka marmelaad (õuntega),  keldi retsept

 

2kg ripe dog rose hips or rugose rose hips (or a blend)

150g rowan berries (frozen at least over night and thawed before use

4 crab apples, chopped (for the pectin)

2.2l water (or enough so that the hips are just submerged — if thie hips are particularly hard you will need more water, as you will be cooking for a long time)

 juice of 6 oranges peel of 2 oranges cut into strips (thin or thick, depending on preference)

80g sugar per 100ml juice

75ml to 100ml lemon juice (depending on taste)

 

 

Wash and pick the rose hips then add the fruit to a pan along with the water, rowan berries, apples, the juice of 4 oranges and the peel of 2 oranges. Bring to a simmer, cover, and stew until the fruit is pulpy. Remove the flavouring ingredients then turn into a jelly bag or a colander lined with two layers of muslin or cheesecloth and leave to strain over night (do not press down as this will make the base jelly cloudy). In the meantime, cut the peel of 2 of the oranges into strips. Place in a bowl with the juice of 2 oranges then cover and set aside to soften over night. The following day combine the strained juice with the orange juice and peel mix then measure the volume of juice then add 80g of sugar per 100ml of liquid then heat gently in a pan, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Now add the lemon juice (this acidifies the mixture and helps it set). Bring the syrup to a boil and continue boiling rapidly for at least 20 minutes. Test for seting at this time (place a dollop of the jelly on a plate chilled in the fridge, if the jelly forms a skin when you shift it with your finger it's at the setting point). If it's not ready boil for a further five minutes then test again. Remove any scum from the top of the jelly then pour into cleaned and sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 15 minutes. Seal securely and store.

 

 


 

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Pihlaka-tshilli marmelaad

 

This recipe is based on a South African original, but has been adapted to use British rowan berries and the tart hot marmalade is excellent on toast for breakfast. It also makes a great accompaniment to cold meats and hams if you want something a little different from the usual mustards.

 

Ingredients:

300g rowan berries

100ml orange juice

500g caster sugar

480ml water

 rind of 1 lime (rind peeled in strips and finely shredded)

250g fresh red chillies (preferably a mix of serrano, jalapeño and pimento) seeded, ribbed and finely shredded

½ red pepper de-seeded and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic puréed

2cm piece of ginger, grated

1 stick lemongrass, bruised

 

Method: Pick the rowan berries, remove any stalks then dry and freeze over night to help destroy the parasorbic acid in the fruit. The following day thaw the fruit then place in a pan with the orange juice and 100g of the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and pulpy. Take off the heat and strain the jelly through a bag or muslin cloth (this will take up to 5 hours) but do not squeeze, otherwise the marmalade will become cloudy. The following day (or when the strained rowan juice is ready) combine the sugar and water in a non-aluminium saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the lemongrass. Bring to the boil; turn off the heat and allow to infuse for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, add the strained rowan liquid, garlic and ginger together. Place the shredded lime peel in a small bowl and add this mixture to it. Allow this to soften the peel for at least an hour. Remove the lemongrass from the sugar mixture and add the peel and liquid along with the chilli and the red pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil slowly, brushing sides of pan regularly to keep syrup from the sides. Simmer the mixture until it thickens and the chillies become translucent then remove from the heat, allow to cool a little and bottle into sterilized jars whilst still fairly hot. In effect this is a true marmalade and will keep for several months.

 

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-rowan-berry-chilli-marmalade

 

 

 

 

Samalt lehelt leidsin hunniku prantsuse retsepte

 

 



 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

kibuvitsamoos



kui oled korjanud paar peotäit kibuvitsamarju, teadmata päris täpselt, mis neist teed ja järgmisel päeval tuuakse kotitäis hapusid õunu, siis ei ole enam mõelda vajagi. hapud õunad mageda kibuvitsaga koos on hea talvine vitamiinipomm.

tuhnisin veidi netis, otsides mõnd huvitavamat varianti ja leidsin selle. täna seda ei tee, aga sügise poole kindlasti. ilmselt ei pane ma mitte tshillihelbeid, vaid mõne pisikese kauna.


What you need
This recipe makes 1 jar of jam! Sorry it's all the rose hips I picked. So multiply all ingredients by the number of jars you want to make.
                                      
185g rose hips (roughly 2 big handfuls)
1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of dried chili flakes
 
What to do
Wash the rose hips. Put in a pan and just about cover with water. Heat gently for 5-10 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Chop the ends off and take each hip in turn and squeeze, the seeds and little hairs should pop out. When you've done this for them all rinse with cold water. Add to a pan and put on a gentle heat for 15 minutes (until soft) then push all through a sieve. Then back on the heat and add 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar, the lemon and chili flakes. Allow to simmer gently and keep stir regularly. If its too thick add some water. Cook for about 20 minutes. Then pour into pre-sterilised jar (heat jar in oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes).
 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

mõned repsepsid sügiseks


hoidistamiseni on veel natuke aega, aga kusagile pean ma need retseptid ometi talletama, mida ma katsetada tahan:

 tomatid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs7P3bKHxv4

tomatid küüslauguga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMhulWiRDk8

letsho:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXGOGe0WzIs

kabatskid:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOK0JA6YgI




Wednesday, August 24, 2011

purking

5 või 6 päeva jutti. natsa tüütav... a noh, talvel on ju mõnus, kui tuled töölt, viskad potti ja pead ainult liha või kartuli või riisi lisama. ja ntx kõrvitsa-astelpaju-ingveri moos on ka jube maitsev, poleks oodanudki. aprikoosimooside erinevatest variatsioonidest rääkimata.

täiendavat sügavkülma oleks ka vaja.

oeh.

kurki ja tomatit saab ka pihutäie iga päev. sissetegemiseks tuli muidugi osta.
kabatskitega on pikk vahe sees.. ennist viskas mitu hiiglast ühel ajal, nüüd ei miskit. need hiiglased sai õnneks purki aetud tomati-sibula-porkna ja muu taolise kraamiga. ja munaga paneeritud praetud suvikõrvitsaõisi on juba mitu nädalat hommikusöögiks saanud teha.

pilte?
no millaski ikka saab :)

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Mirjamile: see hosta seal all, mis näeb välja nigu artihsokk, on rainforest sunrise.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Monday, January 17, 2011

Kale

Kale e tavapärasem lehtkapsas. Eelmisel suvel kasvatasin seda 4 sorti, sõin toorelt salatina - lehed masseerida õrnalt tibakese sidrunimahla ja soolaga - väga maitsev! (ja ülikasulik), kuid tegin palju ka toormahlaks. Sel aastal tahaks seda rohkem kasvatada.


retsepte (kuigi põmst sobib iga kapsa- ja collardiretsept):

http://utopiankitchen.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/joys-test-kitchen-kale-salad/

http://utopiankitchen.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/minty-kale-salad/

http://www.toomanychefs.net/archives/002012.php

Collard


Igasugu kapsalisi on palju rohkem kui neid meie mail reeglina kasvatatakse. Kale on maakeeli lehtkapsas, aga misasi on collard? see on samuti üsna lehtkapsa moodi...

kuna ma suur lehtköögiviljade austaja (eriti toorena) olen, tellisin ookeani tagant ka neid collardi seemneid. eks siis ole näha (õigemini maitsta), millega tegu on.


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Collard greens are vegetables that are members of the cabbage family, but are also close relatives to kale. Although they are available year-round they are at their best from January through April.

Collard greens date back to prehistoric times, and are one of the oldest members of the cabbage family. The ancient Greeks grew kale and collards, although they made no distinction between them. Well before the Christian era, the Romans grew several kinds including those with large leaves and stalks and a mild flavor; broad-leaved forms like collards; and others with curled leaves. The Romans may have taken the coles to Britain and France or the Celts may have introduced them to these countries. They reached into the British Isles in the 4th century B.C.


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What's New and Beneficial About Collard Greens

  • The cholesterol-lowering ability of collard greens may be the greatest of all commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. In a recent study, steamed collard greens outshined steamed kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage in terms of its ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract. When this bile acid binding takes place, it is easier for the bile acids to be excreted from the body. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, the net impact of this bile acid binding is a lowering of the body's cholesterol level. It's worth noting that steamed collards show much greater bile acid binding ability than raw collards.
  • We get unique health benefits from collard greens in the form of cancer protection. The cancer-preventive properties of collard greens may be largely related to 4 specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, sinigrin, gluconasturtiian, and glucotropaeolin. Each of these glucosinolates can be converted into an isothiocyanate (ITC) that helps lower our cancer risk by supporting our detox and anti-inflammatory systems.

WHFoods Recommendations

You'll want to include collard greens as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family. At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups. Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy collard greens and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups.

It is very important not to overcook collard greens. Like other cruciferous vegetables overcooked collard greens will begin to emit the unpleasant sulfur smell associated with overcooking. To help collard greens to cook more quickly, evenly slice the leaves into ½-inch slices and the stems into 1/4-inch pieces. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out the health-promoting qualities and steam for 5 minutes.


http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=138


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üks retsept ka (umbes nagu meie kapsarullid)

http://whatscookingmexico.com/2008/06/11/collard-greens-wraps/

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ja veel üks:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/11/quick-and-delicious-collards.html


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ja veel:

http://utopiankitchen.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/quinoa-sweet-potato-collard-rolls/


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http://linneacovington.com/food/2009/06/22/csa-turnips-and-collard-greens/

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lihaga ka (kuigi kapsa puhul vist lihatoitude osas fantaasiapuudust ette ei tule)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/pork-stuffed-collard-greens-recipe/index.html

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üks india roog

http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2008/06/07/collard-greens-dal-and-click/

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vürtsikas collardisupp ubadega:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/05/spicy-collards-and-black-eyed-pea-soup.html

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ja kuna roheline maitseb mulle enim siiski toorena, siis ka üks toorretsept

http://rawepicurean.net/2010/01/12/shredded-mediterranean-carrots-wrapped-in-collard-greens/


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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Ilus talvine nädalavahetus



Sajab.
Korralikult.
Lund muidugi.
Pea terve päev otsa.
Tuiskab ka. Korralikult .
Ma hommikul juba rookisin tee puhtaks... aga ilus on, midagi pole öelda :)

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Kuid tegelikult tahtsin ma üldse muust kirjutada.


EI, see ei ole kana taignas, see on õunakook. Või õigemini õunakoogi tainas. No kuna seda nuttu ja hala ei oleks jõudnud ära kuulata, kui pühapäeva hommikul poleks miskit kooki kohvi kõrvale olnud .... eee... eee.. ma täpsuse huvides märgin, et see hädaldaja oleks olnud Trumm isiklikult :)))... siis oli vaja lauba õhtul kook teha. Kuna olin väsinud (lumerookimisest ikka) ja jahu ka kodus ei olnud, siis läksin lihtsama vastupanu teed ja tuunisin ühe sõbra maavanaema õunakoogi retsepti. Jube lihtne oli teha! Ja väga maitsev tuli :)




Põmst läks sinna suuuuuur kausitäis tükeldatud (ja kooritud) õunu. No ikka tõesti PALJU - ca 1/4 - 1/3 ämbritäit tükke.
Teises nõus sulatasin ca 1/3 pakki (s.t. umbes 175-200g) võid, sinna sisse kloppisin 5 vutimuna. Kanamune polnud, kui oleks olnud, oleksin pannud 2 tk. Ja sinna omakorda segasin pakitäie juubeli tordi pulbrit. Siis segasin saadud taigna õuntega. Tundus jah, et õunad said natuke tainaga kokku ainult :), aga sellest piisas. Lisasin ka suure peotäie astelpajumarju ja teise rosinaid. Astelpaju oli väga hea, rosinaid polnud tundagi. Seejärel ahjuplaadile ja küpses 160 kraadi juures ca 45-50 min.

Ei ole üks pool kõrbenud :), ma lihtsalt panin ainult ühele poolele kaneeli peale, kuna kõik siin majas ei ole kaneelisõbrad.




Alustasin oma elu esimese linnupesakasti tegemist. Kuna põhiaur läks töötoa laelaudise panekule (ja lumerookimisele), siis valmis ta täna ei saanud.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Tapenade

Ma pole kunagi väga varjanud oma gurmaanlikke kalduvusi. Ja see ei tähenda, et peaks sööma ööbikukeeli või faasanimune.. Pigem seda, et toit oleks harmooniline ja õieti paigas. Iseenesest on sellega nii nagu muusikalise kuulmisega - see lihtsalt kas on või ei ole. Ja selle olemasolu v puudumine ei ole hea ega halb. Lihtsalt kui see on, siis tajud nüansse ja varjundeid, mida mõni teine ei taju. Ja ongi kõik. Seega - nagu kõigega siin ilmas - lähtuda tuleb alati iseendast ja oma sisetundest (et mitte öelda Oma Kõrgemast Minast). Ja kui sellele vastavalt elada, on inimene reeglina rahul ja õnnelik. Nii, nagu ei saa olla rahul elades kellegi teise elu laiemas ja üldisemas plaanis, ei ole võimalik täielik toiduline rahuolu, kui süüa kellegi teise maitse ja eelistuste järgi. No tõepoolest... kujutage nüüd ise ette, kuidas oleks, kui peaks sööma neid asju, mis teil suus lihtsalt ringi käivad.. :)))

Aga see pikk ja targutav sissejuhatus oli tegelikult kõrvalepõige sellest, et tahtsin kirjutada tapenade'st. See on sisuliselt oliivipasta... või oliivi- ja kapparipasta... või oliivi- ja sibulapasta... või oliivi- ja anshoovisepasta. Ma olen seda miskipärast tihti söönud "oliivipesto" nime all... kuigi see pole õige. Võimalik, et põhjuseks on asjaolu, et tapenade on pärit provanssaali köögist, kuid itaallased nimetavad seda enda köögi järgi "oliivipestoks" . Vahet pole... alla lisan hoopis ühe viigimarjatapenade retsepti :). Sügisel peaks proovima teha. Tegelikult on ka see retsept osake laiemast retseptist -crostini juustu ja tapenadega.

Ühesõnaga, lähtuks filosoofiast: keep it simple and ensure, that it's tasty! :)

Manchego Cheese and Fig Tapenade Crostini

Look for ficelle - it's the perfect size to accommodate the cheese slices. Ficelle is the french word for twine or string which describes the shape and length of this type of french bread. It's long and very thin, but usually shorter than a baguette.

Crostini

1 (20-inch/50 cm) olive or plain ficelle or narrow baguette

5 teaspoons (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, about

Fig tapenade

1 teaspoon (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped shallot

1 cup (250 mL) chopped dried Mission figs (about 4 ounces/125 g)

3/4 cup (175 mL) port

1 (2-inch/5 cm) strip orange zest

1 tablespoon (15 mL) balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons (45 mL) chopped pitted kalamata olives

Salt and pepper


1/2 pound (250 g) manchego cheese, about

Crostini: Cut ficelle diagonally into 3/8-inch (1 cm) thick slices. Lightly brush both sides of bread with oil and place, in single layer, on ungreased rimed baking sheet. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 10 minutes or until golden on both sides, turning once halfway through baking time. Transfer crostini to rack and let cool. (Make ahead: Layer crostini between sheets of wax paper in tin and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

Fig tapenade: In small heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add shallot; saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Add figs, port and zest; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until port is a syrupy consistency and figs are softened, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard zest. Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to small bowl; stir in vinegar and olives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool. (Make ahead: Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Cut cheese into thin slices large enough to fit on top of each crostini. Place 1 cheese slice on top of each crostini; top with a dollop of fig tapenade.

Makes 36 appetizers.

Approximate nutritional analysis for each appetizer: 72 cal, 3 g pro, 4 g fat, 6 g carb.

Tips

. Mission figs are purple-black in colour and have extremely small seeds. The other popular dried figs that are readily available are Calimyrna, the squat, white-fleshed, green-skinned figs. Although just as tasty as the dark figs, we preferred the appearance of the dark Mission figs in this tapenade.

. Manchego cheese hails from Spain. It's a golden semi-firm cheese originally made from only manchego sheep that grazed on the plains of La Mancha - Don Quixote territory. Manchego curado, aged for 3 to 4 months, and viejo, a more mature cheese, are the two most commonly exported types of manchego. We used the more assertive manchego viejo for slightly more flavour. If you can't find this cheese, substitute an old white cheddar or asiago. Creamy goat cheese would also be suitable.

. The type of port you select will make a difference in this luscious fig tapenade. We used Warre's Warrior Special reserve, a full-bodied, rich port. Store port like any other fine wine - in a cool, dark place.